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I switched to an affordable Wi-Fi 7 router, and it solved my biggest internet issue
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Eero Pro 7 is available for $300.
- The tri-band Eero Pro 7 supports wireless speeds of up to 3.8Gbps and a coverage area of up to 2,500 square feet per unit, making it ideal for congestion management.
- As a midrange router, the Eero Pro 7 is not great for complicated smart home setups, and it's also not the most attainable at $300 each.
I've been testing the Eero Pro 7 for almost a month now, and the results have been surprising. I recently upgraded my home network with a pair of Eero Max 7s and one Eero Outdoor, which has been highly effective. I have a lot of connected devices, between 90 and 130 on any given day, including smart home devices, laptops, tablets, and streaming TVs.
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My two Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro routers before the Eero Max 7s would suffer frustrating drops when handling 75 or more devices. This left us with unexpected "no internet connection" daily alerts on our work computers, TVs, and handheld devices. Switching to a pair of Eero Max 7s immediately remedied this issue.
When I began testing my two Eero Pro 7 units, I disconnected the Eero Max 7 and Eero Outdoor for some time to see how they would perform independently.
The Eero Pro 7 can support more than 200 connected devices and features tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for larger homes with more connections than a standard home. Tri-band support for 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz opens a broader bandwidth for more simultaneous connections, with 6GHz in particular offering faster speeds and reduced congestion.
The magic of Eero lies in how effectively the network operates. Eero has optimized its TrueMesh system to connect to the best available band and most stable connection. According to Eero, the proprietary technology helps optimize coverage and is self-healing, so it can reroute traffic through remaining devices when one goes offline.
To add parental controls, security, and network customization features, you must subscribe to Eero Plus, which costs $10 monthly or $100 yearly.
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Ultimately, the two Eero Pro 7 mesh routers on their own weren't enough to handle my smart home setup, which has more complicated network requirements than the average 2,500 sq ft home. I test smart home devices and robot vacuums for a living, so I'm always adding new devices to my network. My network was stable with a pair of Eero Max 7 connected to everyone's tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, numerous streaming devices, a smart speaker in every room, lightbulbs, switches, multiple robot vacuums, cameras, and more.
While the Eero Pro 7 can handle up to 200 devices, that bandwidth depends on the type of connected devices and their type of connection. When I only had the two Eero Pro 7s and hit 90 devices, I noticed significant slowdowns in my phone, computer, and streaming, and constant disconnection from smart TVs, Wi-Fi bulbs, and switches.
A quick speed test on a Mac and 1 Gbps home internet plan.
You could likely connect dozens of smart bulbs to your Wi-Fi network, as they don't create too much interference, and connect more demanding devices, like a gaming console or streaming device, wired through your router's Ethernet port. This type of strategic network management makes it easier for your mesh network to maintain consistency throughout the day without excessive interference and gets you closer to the device's limitations.
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In the end, I did a more strategic setup, adding one Eero Max 7 and leaving the Pro 7 as a gateway, and it successfully stabilized my network. Adding a trio of Eero Pro 7s would be enough to run my connected home.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Eero Pro 7 is our Editor's Choice for midrange shoppers looking to upgrade a congested network to Wi-Fi 7 without many devices that create a lot of chatter. It performs even better when considering strategic planning for your home network and using wired connections for demanding connected devices through the two 2.5 GbE ports.
This mesh router will deliver faster speeds and better congestion management than many routers on the market, including the entry-level Eero 7 and the Google Nest WiFi Pro, so it's sure to be an upgrade from almost any setup available now.
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However, if you're looking for more robust network support for a smart home with multi-gig speeds and Eero's fastest Wi-Fi 7 performance, consider the Eero Max 7 as an alternative to the Pro 7.
Why the Eero Pro 7 gets an Editor's Choice award
After testing multiple Wi-Fi routers, including the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro, the Eero Pro 7 stands out for its value and capabilities. It's one of ZDNET's Editor's Choice because it performs outstandingly for most users without being overpriced. The Eero Pro 7 is capable of handling up to 200 connected devices. While my home is very demanding with an increasingly long list of smart connected devices, there was little lag or struggle with the Eero Pro 7 plugged in.